Staff Reports
In yet another example of government intervention gone wrong, thousands of hardworking restaurant employees in California are expected to lose their jobs due to the state’s latest minimum wage hike. The Golden State’s love affair with radical left-wing policies has once again backfired, this time leading to the gut-wrenching decision of numerous Pizza Hut franchises to lay off their delivery drivers ahead of the introduction of a $20 minimum wage set to go into effect on April 1, 2024.
PacPizza, LLC, operating as Pizza Hut, released a federal WARN Act notice revealing their decision to eliminate first-party delivery services and subsequently dooming the jobs of 1,200 workers across multiple counties in Southern California. This unfortunate outcome is a direct result of Assembly Bill 1228 from the liberal Democrats and Governor Gavin Newsom, which shamelessly raises the minimum wage for fast food workers from $16 to a staggering $20 an hour.
Pizza Hut Fires Over 1,200 Drivers In California Before California's $20 Minimum Wage Comes Into Effect.
More fast food firings are expected before April 1sthttps://t.co/DLQvZ0DJ0r pic.twitter.com/nIdBQE2eNc
— California Globe (@CaliforniaGlobe) December 27, 2023
But hey, don’t worry! If you still want to enjoy a slice of pizza in the comfort of your own home, you can now look forward to placing your order through those delightful third-party delivery apps like Uber, GrubHub, and DoorDash. How convenient! Who needs a reliable, employed delivery driver anyway?
And as if that wasn’t enough, the devastation doesn’t stop there. The minimum wage hike is expected to impact around 30,000 restaurants across the state, putting thousands more jobs at risk. Southern California Pizza Co. has already announced that 841 jobs will be lost, and McDonalds and Chipotle have confirmed they will raise their prices in response to the new regulations. So, not only will hardworking people lose their jobs, but consumers will also have to fork out more of their hard-earned cash.
But hey, why worry about facts and consequences when you can just feel good about “doing the right thing” for fast food workers? After all, these policymakers are surely closer to understanding the ins and outs of the restaurant business than those who actually operate and work in it, right?
The Left’s relentless pursuit of virtue signaling has once again proven to be disastrous for California’s workers and businesses. And as for the disgruntled Pizza Hut customer who laments the layoffs, perhaps he should direct his frustration toward the politicians who peddled this harmful policy, rather than those who are simply reacting to it. But, who are we kidding? Blaming big government for unintended consequences is just too much to ask for from some folks.
